The present invention relates generally to agricultural strip-till tillage systems, and more particularly to a unique conditioning rotary reel used in such a system.
No-till farming is generally performed without any fall or spring tillage prior to planting. No-till planters are generally equipped with a row cleaner to move the previous year's residue out of the path of the row unit that places the seeds in the soil. Most no-till planters also have a wavy coulter that operates approximately at the same depth as the seeds are planted. The waves on the coulter provide some minimal tillage to allow the planter to operate in loosened soil. In many soil conditions, the coulter does not loosen the dense soil that has not been previously tilled. Sidewall compaction occurs—that is, the openers press the soil sideways to allow a slot to drop the seeds in. This soil becomes difficult for the closing wheels to make into a mellow condition for good seed-to-soil contact. Poor seed germination and emergence, along with poor root development is a common yield limitation of no-till and some strip-till operations caused often by compacted soil with limited or poorly distributed pore spacing (to hold air and water). Proper pore size and distribution is critical for air and water exchange, which improves potential water infiltration and utilization—essential for healthy plant development. Familiar strip-till operations and implements have exhibited these limitations because they have heretofore not created a seedbed of sufficient size and soil tilth to permit healthy root and plant development. It is the purpose of the implement and components of the instant invention to create a seedbed with all the characteristics and features necessary to produce high yielding healthy crops.
Strip-till is an emerging farming practice that is evolving primarily out of no-till farming, and generally can be described as tilling a narrow strip of soil, that is followed by a planter row unit directly in each of the strips. Initial strip-till attempts were undertaken by using conventional anhydrous ammonia applicators, which typically used a coulter, knife mounted to shank, double disc sealer, and was equipped with markers to till/layout the strips to be planted on in the spring. The shanks, or knives were placed on a toolbar with the same row width as on the planter. For example, if a farmer has an 8-row 30″ planter, he would use an 8-row strip-tillage unit to till the strips on 30″ centers. This was a good start, but it was soon realized that a strip needs more soil movement, more residue flow, and a reduction in the clod size in the seedbed. The anhydrous ammonia system was stressed to do the additional tillage, handle the residue and condition the seedbed for ideal plant seed-to-soil contact.
The need is to provide tillage in the strip to increase fracture and air pore space and thereby make available adequate root growth area to support a highly productive plant. This loosening is extremely important, particularly in areas of the ground that have been compacted by heavy rains, high traffic areas, or on the end rows of the ground where traffic is often concentrated.
Depending upon soil types, moisture content of the soil, or compaction, the soil forming the strip is made up of large clods or big chunks of soil and holes where soil chunks were displaced. The need has thus developed for a conditioning rotary reel to reduce the clod size and make the strip more uniformly level along its length, thus filling in and leveling the soil strip.
Strip-tilling is generally done in the fall of the year. Anhydrous ammonia, liquid and/or dry fertilizer can be placed in the strip at the same time that the tillage is being performed.
When loosening firm or compacted soil, the tillage point will tend to explode soil upwardly and outwardly creating clods or chunks of soil. Uniform density throughout the berm is ideal for optimum seed-to-soil contact. For proper seed-to-soil contact and uniform moisture, it is preferred that the berm be relatively free of large clods and large air pockets between the clods. This creates the need for a device to reduce the clod size and make the strip more consistent in soil density without air pockets or large protruding clods.
It would be advantageous to provide a strip-till system that overcomes the problems, and improves upon the shortcomings, of the prior art.